The readers of this pamphlet are no doubt aware that the anxiety
entertained for the fate of Burke and Wills led to the formation of
several expeditions in their search. The first of these was formed in
Melbourne and entrusted to the command of Mr. Howitt. The second in
Adelaide, under Mr. McKinlay. The third from Rockhampton, under Mr.
Walker; and the fourth from Brisbane, under Mr. Landsborough. These
several expeditions were organised and started within a short period of
each other. The steamship Victoria, Commander Norman, was despatched by
the Victorian Government to the Gulf of Carpentaria to assist the
explorers in carrying out their objects.
Mr. Howitt, as is well-known, early succeeded in ascertaining the
melancholy fate of Burke and Wills: but before his letter announcing it
reached Melbourne the other expeditions referred to had set out.
The brig Firefly was chartered in Melbourne to take from Brisbane to
Carpentaria Mr. Landsborough's party and equipments, and also some stores
for Mr. Walker's party, the latter having been instructed to proceed from
Rockhampton overland, by the shortest route, to a rendezvous at the Gulf.
The Firefly, having reached Moreton Bay and shipped the horses, set sail
for Carpentaria on the 24th August with Mr. Landsborough and his party.
As it is the object of this pamphlet to give details, especially of his
expedition, the journal, letters, etc., which follow, are now presented.
...
(NUMBER 1.)
BRISBANE PARTY, W. LANDSBOROUGH, ESQUIRE, LEADER, REPORT TO 30TH
SEPTEMBER 1861.
(COPY.)
Sweer's Island, Gulf of Carpentaria, 30th September 1861.
To Captain Norman of Her Majesty's Colonial War Steamer Victoria, and
Commander-in-chief of Northern Expedition Parties.
Sir,
I have the honour to inform you that the greatest attention was paid by
my parties to the horses for the expedition on board the Firefly, and
they ought, during the eight days after leaving Moreton Bay, while we had
the finest weather, to have done well, if their allowance of five gallons
of water each a day had been sufficient for them; but with that allowance
they were so thirsty that they did not thrive well. That quantity of
water may do well for horses intended for the Indian market, where they
can be fattened afterwards; but for our expedition horses, which were
intended for immediate service on landing, to be kept in a close hold,
confined by the cargo of the vessel, and fed with dry forage (they did
not eat the carrots at first, until they had acquired a taste for them)
eight gallons of water each per day at least should have been allowed to
them.
On Sunday the 1st instant, when Captain Kirby expected to get through the
Raine Island passage on the following day, where he hoped to get such
calm weather that it would admit of your giving him a fresh supply of
water, he allowed our party to give the horses a good drink. On that
occasion they drank each, on an average, nine gallons. Towards evening of
the same day the breeze freshened into a gale, and about ten at night,
when the Firefly was head-reaching under close-reefed sails, we had the
misfortune to lose sight of H.M.C.S. Victoria, under your command.
On Monday the 2nd instant the gale continued, and during the night the
ship was hove to with her head to the eastward.
On Tuesday the 3rd instant the gale still continued, but Captain Kirby,
having got observations of the sun, he boldly made sail in for the reefs,
and between eleven and twelve a.m. he sighted the Raine Island beacon,
and early in the afternoon he went through the passage, and got into
smooth water, where we congratulated ourselves, and were thankful, I
hope, to God, for the comparative safety of ourselves, and also of the
horses under our charge.
All the horses were alive except one, which, from the sand being pumped
from under its feet, had not been able to stand during the gale, and in
consequence had been trampled underfoot by the other horses and so much
injured that we were compelled to destroy it. About an hour before dark
we reached, with a fresh and favourable breeze, a point between the two
largest of the Sir Charles Hardy's Islands, where one of the anchors was
let go and, upon its dragging, another was let go, which dragged also,
until we were close to the lee shore, when it held, fortunately, till
after daylight of the morning of Wednesday the 4th instant when, the
cable parting, the brig went ashore broadside onto the reef which extends
for about half a mile from the base of the bold rocky island. The waves
breaking over the ship, the masts were cut away and fell over the side.
The smallest boat was then launched and immediately broke in pieces.
While the wreck of a masts was being cleared away by a good swimmer
called Muller, a Dutchman, in order to get a clear sea to launch the
ship's large boat, our party took the opportunity of feeding and watering
the horses, and in the meantime the tide had fallen so much that Muller
found footing. The boat was launched safely and, on being asked by
Captain Kirby, I went ashore with Mr. Martin, the supercargo, and a part
of the crew. We found we could wade on shore; and, on the previous
evening having seen the masts of a ship on the other side of the island,
Mr. Martin and I went across and found it was a vessel which had sunk
within half a mile of the shore in deep water.
At the abandoned camp of the shipwrecked crew we found a copy of The
Argus newspaper of the 14th June, a barrel of peas, fragments of paper
bearing the names of the Lady Kinnaird and Captain Chorley on them, a
part of a child's dress, etc.
On our return to the wreck of a Firefly, we found the crew very busily
engaged in carrying stores on shore on their backs, as Captain Kirby did
not like using the boat for that service, being afraid of having it
injured. In the evening we fed and watered the horses, and Mr. Campbell
offered to remain on board if he got someone to assist him to attend to
the horses during the night; but as there were drunken sailors on board,
and I thought the breaking up of the old Firefly not improbable, I did
not like remaining or asking anyone else to do so. After the ship struck,
the officers and crew considered themselves under no discipline, taking
from the stores whatever they wanted, and, I am sorry to say, much of the
Expedition spiced beef and other things were stolen, and many things
destroyed from recklessness; but I am pleased to add that, after your
arrival, when order and sobriety became prevalent, from the prompt and
wise measures adopted by you, a considerable quantity of the slops were
recovered by a diligent search through the effects brought on shore by
the crew of the Firefly.
Shortly after the ship struck I overheard one of the officers say that we
were all alike; and now that the vessel was a wreck the cargo belonged to
no one in particular; and one of our party overheard another officer say
to the crew: "There are twenty-two pairs of (Expedition) boots; help
yourselves. There are a pair each for all hands, and a pair to spare."
On the afternoon of Wednesday 4th instant (the day on which we were
wrecked) with Captain Kirby's approval I offered the carpenter five
pounds to cut the vessel close down to the water's edge to get the horses
out. (This, under the circumstances, I hope will meet also your
approval.) This he agreed to, and on the following morning when it was
almost high-water, he (the carpenter) and Muller swam off to the wreck to
do so, and shortly afterwards, when I had found a good place on the
island for watering the horses, I accompanied Messrs. Campbell and Martin
and three of my aboriginals to the wreck to assist the carpenter in
making a breach in the side of the Firefly. To do this work the only
tools the carpenter and his assistants had were two adzes and two small
tomahawks. My aboriginals, Jamie, Fisherman, and Jackie, worked hard with
the tomahawks, and were most able assistants in cutting the vessel down.
On Friday (the 6th instant) we landed safely twenty-five of the horses.
We were obliged to land them chiefly at low-water, and then we had to use
every precaution to prevent them swimming off to sea; for some of them in
the first instance, when we were not watching them, swam off and did not
drift ashore until they were exhausted, and one, after swimming for about
an hour in different directions, reached the southern island, about a
mile distant, with a strong wind and considerable waves against him.
On Saturday the 7th instant, while we were attending to the surviving
horse of four which had been trampled down by the stronger horses among
the floating empty water tanks, we had the great pleasure of seeing
H.M.C.S. Victoria coming to our relief; and I can assure you we were very
thankful, and our spirits much cheered by your telling us, after Captain
Kirby had intimated to us that he had abandoned the Firefly as a total
wreck, and in our presence told his crew that as shipwrecked mariners he
had placed them under your charge, that you would do your best under the
circumstances to enable us yet to start on our expedition from the Albert
River in search of Mr. Burke and his companions, and with that view you
would endeavour to get the Firefly afloat again, and have her refitted as
a transport hulk for the conveyance of our party, horses, and stores; and
if you did not succeed in that undertaking (which I hope you will pardon
us all for having thought a most hopeless affair) you would in several
trips transport our party, horses, and stores in H.M.C.S. Victoria.
Now that the great exertions made by you and your officers and crew in
getting the Firefly afloat again, in refitting her, in embarking
twenty-five of the horses, with our party and stores, and in transporting
them safely to the Gulf of Carpentaria, has been crowned with success,
allow me to congratulate you on those events, and to assure you that,
these difficulties being overcome, I have now great hopes of carrying out
at least satisfactorily, with the assistance of my brave, trusty, and
zealous companions, the instructions of the Victorian and Queensland
Governments, with those which I may receive from yourself.